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Every year Halloween Horror Nights seems to get bigger and bigger, and so do the crowds. 

Below you will find some of our tips for making the most out of your Halloween Horror Nights experience. Some do's and don'ts and most importantly, what should be your "plan of attack" for the night. 

You can also check out the HHN site for more information on tickets, hours, etc. ​

Note: Last year we did make changes to our Survival Guide after opening weekend, and that will likely be the case this year. 

Updated: 9/16/2016
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  • BUY YOUR TICKETS ONLINE!!! The event sells out. Tickets will not be available at the ticket booths. 
  • GET A FRONT OF THE LINE PASS!!! We can't stress this enough. If your budget can swing it this is truly the best way to have an enjoyable and relaxing night at the event. Click here for Front of the Line Pass info and prices. Front of the Line passes sell out so your best bet is to get them online. 
  • DON'T GO ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT!!! If you cannot swing the cost of the Front of the Line Pass then you should try to go on a slower night.  
  • DON'T BE LATE!!! You are paying a LOT of $$ to go to HHN. Don't show up at 9:00pm and expect to do everything or expect there to be no lines. The event starts at 7:00pm, you should be lined up by 6:00pm AT THE LATEST. Earlier on Friday and Saturday nights. 
  • USE EARLY ENTRY!!! Basically this is your best way to get into the event easily. You must arrive between 5:00 and 6:00 to get early entry. 
  • IGNORE THE RIDES!!! (Unless you have a Front of the Line Pass). You are there for Halloween Horror Nights. You can come back on most days and ride Despicable Me, The Simpsons or Transformers: 3D all you want. Especially if you have an Annual Pass. Ride lines are typically longer during HHN than they are during the day. If you have visitors from out of town, consider the Day/Night Combo Pass so you can ride during the day and get scared at night. Day/Night Combo passes are available on the HHN site when you buy tickets. 
  • WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES!!! This should pretty much be a no brainer but you'd be surprised. You will be walking on trails on the Terror Tram. You will be taking escalators up and down to the lower lot. Do yourself a favor and be comfortable. 
Maze Order
Note: We've learned that there will once again be no shuttle from the lower lot to the metro set mazes. With this in mind we've modified our Maze Order below. 
Early Entry: 

Update from John Murdy (@horrornights) regarding early entry: 

At HHN we reward the Early Bird by allowing guests to enter early and get a jump start on the mazes before the event "officially opens". 
Three will be 3 mazes available for Early Entry. The Exorcist, American Horror Story and Freddy Vs Jason. Early entry usually begins around 6ish. Listen for announcements at the main gate. I believe Exorcist opens 6:15, FVJ & AHS 6:30.
Metro Set Mazes: 

Most people assume that you should head to the Terror Tram first. And if you don't show up when the event starts then this is probably your best bet. But if you have followed the instructions above and are at the for Early Entry you should follow the Early Entry instructions above.

If you do not get there in time for early entry but are there at opening first thing you should do is head down to the Metro Sets and go through American Horror Story, Freddy vs Jason and Krampus. 

We are also assuming that American Horror Story will be one of the most popular mazes this year, if not ever as it is extremely anticipated. 
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Front of the Line tip: If lines are short when you get to the Metro Sets (if you are there for Early Entry DO NOT use your Front of the Line Pass at that time) go through once with the GP and use your FOTL pass later in the evening when it's busier. If you don't want to make the walk back to the Metro sets later in the night, go through them once with the GP and then use your FOTL privilege right after to get two trips through each maze. ​
Lower Lot Mazes: 

Once you have finished the Metro Set mazes and made your walk back to the Lower Lot, we suggest doing Halloween and Exorcist prior to heading back to the upper lot. 
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Front of the Line tip: If the lines are not long go through once with the General Public and then use your FOTL pass later in the evening. Getting back down to the lower lot mazes is easy to do later in the night. 

If you don't have a Front of the Line Pass, don't be tempted by "Jurassic Park: In The Dark". It's just "Jurassic Park: At Night". But if it's hot and there isn't a line, by all means go for it. ​
Terror Tram: 

At this point you've already completed 5 of the 7 mazes so it's time to head over to the Terror Tram. ​
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Depending on the night, you may have a bit of a wait if you don't have a Front of the Line pass, so be sure to use the restroom and get a snack/drink before getting in line. Even if the line seems long it's always moving unlike maze lines. 

Front of the Line tip: If it's an unexpectedly slow night and there isn't much of a line, feel free to go in with the GP and go again with your FOTL pass. But more likely than not you are only going to be able to do one trip on the Terror Tram. 
You are probably going to need to rest by now, feel free to stop by Springfield or Mel's and get a snack, a meal, etc. Sit around the upper lot scare zone and watch the talent do their thing. 
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Upper Lot Mazes: 

If you've followed the strategy at this point you'll only have two mazes left and plenty of time to do them. Obviously The Walking Dead is a year-round attraction so we'd recommend doing Texas Chainsaw Massacre first. 
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Jabbawockeez

Like last year, there is only one show at HHN this year. If this is a priority for you then you may want to flip this with The Walking Dead or even the Terror Tram. Once we get showtimes we'll update this with recommended times to go. 
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Once you have completed all the mazes you can hang around the scare zones and watch the talent, check the wait board to see if there are any short maze or ride lines or if you have a Front of the Line Pass use up any trips you haven't already. 

Do some shopping, grab a t-shirt, hang out in the scare zones and drive home safely.  

Pro Tip: If you are at the event until it closes you may get to experience the amazing "Chainsaw Chase-Out". It's a great HHN tradition. 
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If you have any comments, please share them below
1 Comments
evgeny - 9 years ago
if you buy a front of the line pass, will you have enough time to see all the mazes and a ride or two if you show up at 9pm on a Friday?

Thank you.

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